Friday, January 29, 2016

I am suffering severe withdrawal symptoms following the closure of the incomparable Red Carpet Fashion Awards (why, Catherine, why??). Now subsisting on inferior red carpet assessments from the likes of the Daily Mail (I know, I know), I have attempted my first effort at doing one myself. This is a healing process.

A photo posted by April Rose Pengilly (@aprilrpengilly) on Jan 26, 2016 at 3:10am PST

Actress and former model April Rose Pengilly wore Maurie & Eve's Angelika dress. As a rule, I don't love black for the red carpet - it's a safe option but it's harder to see the details and fabric of a black garment in photographs. Miss Pengilly (and, indeed, this whole event in general) gets points from me for wearing a local label - I loath it when Australian celebrities wear foreign designers on local red carpets. The dress is a marvelously flattering (if not very daring) choice, with styling (Jimmy Choo Lang heels and a Chanel purse) to match. Given that Australian fashion has an international reputation for being sexy and body conscious, this dress was a fine choice for the occasion.

Normally a Bec & Bridge devotee, The Bachelor winner (or The Bachelor prize?) Anna Heinrich wore Manning Cartel's Edition jumpsuit. I adore the label, but I just can't get on board with this one. I don't think that even Montana Cox pulled it off - and you know that's not a good sign:

As someone who is more than ready to welcome the resurgence of flared trousers (or, honestly, any alternative to the super skinny jean), I feel a little let down by this jumpsuit. I think the main problem is that the thigh area is a shade too tight, and the waist seam is sitting in that no man's land between true-waist and hip. Also, I can't stand the shoe styling in any of the above pics of the jumpsuit. This is one of the few instances in which a front platform is not only preferable, but a necessity. I would suggest this Charlotte Olympia kinda thing:

She should only wear Bec & Bridge. I am consistently impressed with how this label manages to do sexy without being vacuous. The styling with the necklace is a bit cheesy though, but I'll allow Heidi her Rauchkäse, I guess.

TV Presenter/ Model/ Blogger Nikki Phillips' Ginger and Smart dress looks interesting (and an unusual departure from the label's trademark badass prints) but it doesn't seem to have photographed particularly well. I am very much over those Aquazzura heels.

Yes, black is not my favourite, but I do love me some flocked velvet. Lukich's overall look is very pretty but the bra feels a bit messy - it would have been better if the keyhole was uninterrupted.
Miss Universe Australia 2014 Tegan Martin, wore a Kookai jumpsuit in a lovey shade of orange:

While I may not love the particulars of actress and director Alyssa McClelland's outfit (I wish the top was a structured, non-stretch fabric, and the trouser print looks a bit twee), I must applaud anyone who wears "head-to-toe Ken Done". The colours are great, obvs.

I don't consider blatant rip-offery to be a particularly nobel pursuit. And, let's be clear, the Shona Joy dress, worn here by former Miss World Australia/Oceania Erin Holland, is a blatant rip-off of this Rosie Assoulin number:

Model Lily Aldridge wore the original:

As did heiress of HMD fame, Nell Diamond:

That said, there is something about Shona Joy's version of Assoulin's design that I appreciate. The knock-off dress worn by Holland represents a perfect example of the dilution of a fairly austere, high fashion design into something more widely palatable. The short skirt length and Holland's black accessories rob the original design of its ethereal quality. But Assoulin's uncompromising design is, without a doubt, more challenging than Shona Joy's iteration. There's room in fashion for both, no?